This book contextualises the economic importance of tourism in global, domestic and regional terms within the island of Ireland. It considers various elements of Irish tourism; such as the unique collection of products, service, events and attractions that combine to create the Irish welcome. It discusses three crucial elements of tourism in Ireland: Accommodation, Transport and Visitor Attractions.

It analyses and critiques the travel industry itself, giving particular focus to the ever-evolving and varied impacts of technology and e-business. It is written with a strong student focus, each chapter concludes with revision questions, exam-type essay questions, tasks, assignments, and a list of further resources. It is suitable for students taking Tourism courses or modules in third level colleges, Institutes of Technology and Universities.

Additional information available includes: PowerPoint slides. It includes a monthly newsletter called "The Welcome News" which provides hyperlinks to key news articles and events for each month. There are twenty additional case studies.

There is an up-to-date Contacts Directory for public and private travel and tourism organisations. It includes industry statistics for Ireland and world tourism patterns. There are relevant web links.

The author aims to update the website annually with information on key changes, trends and developments in the travel and tourism area.